13 Set To Go In Gr. 2 Davey Jones
The Davey Jones Handicap Grade II $200,000 ($120,000 To The Winner) Seven Furlongs, Fast Dirt Fillies And Mares, 4 YO AND UP **************************************************************** (1) KITTY NOTES (PA) (*13/1*) R. Maire Owner: Rodots Stables (18–8-4-3) $166,377 4 yo (CAT THIEF x FORTY CENT DEPOSIT (Forty Niner)) Kitty Notes is really just getting into the graded scene here in Florida this weekend. After 18 starts, eight of which she’s won, this will be only her second graded stakes attempt. Last season, she was 12th in the 8.5 furlong Grade 2 Barbacoa Handicap in California in December. That was a bit long for her. After that race, she took some time off from the races–a little over two months, in fact–before she returned to finished third in an allowance event in Nevada. She threw a 91 speed figure there, but that was just a warm up after her layoff. Last time out, she won the 7.5 furlong listed Home Cat Dirt Mare Stakes in Oregon, where she threw the second highest speed figure of her career (107). This is the third start off the layoff, and Kitty Notes has only run this seven furlong distance three times in her career so far. Breaking from the rail here, she could be dangerous, with all the early speed she’s showing on her Past Performance charts. Keep an eye on her here. (2) BETH PHOENIX (KY) (*7/1*) L. Buchta Owner: Shamrock Stables (33–10-7-3) $447,615 6 yo (MR. GREELEY x RUKIA (Storm Cat)) Beth Phoenix has been around a while, and the six year old Mr. Greeley mare has seen quite a few of these graded events. This is her eighth graded start for Shamrock Stables, who claimed her for $35,000 way back in September of 2009, a race after she was claimed for $5,000 by someone else. Boy, was this a deal for Shamrock Stables or what? Beth Phoenix has only won one of her eight graded starts, and that was the seven-furlong Grade 2 Dancer Cap last season. She’s coming off two very good runs, a second place finish in an open allowance and a second place finish in the Grade 2 Distaff Breeders’ Bowl Cap in Maryland. She was gaining ground late in both of those starts. She threw a 113 speed figure (career-high) last season, when she won that Grade 2 Dancer Cap. And that second place finish last time in the grade 2 race in Maryland was her highest since then (107). This mare loves this distance, she loves to run from off the pace, and she’s very scary in this spot. (3) MOTORMOUTH MEOLA (KY) (*12/1*) C. Romine Owner: Sjmeola Racing (21–9-4-5) $299,675 4 yo (HARD SPUN x WILD AGAIN x HALO) (SCR) Motormouth Meola has three real nice speed figure races coming in here, a couple of 105’s and a 102. But this is her first graded event, of any kind, when she goes against a pretty experienced field here in the Grade 2 Davey Jones this weekend down in Florida. Motormouth Meola has three listed stakes win on her resume, the last of which came last time out in the 5.5 furlong Alluring Niner G Dirt Mare Dash. She’s stepping up in distance here, but that shouldn’t be much of a problem for the four year old daughter of Hard Spun. What might be a problem is the fact that she’s only got four career races with speed figures over 100. She’s in deep here against this field. She likes to come off the pace though, and she’s a hard charger in deep stretch. Watch for her late here. This is a pretty big spot for Sjmeola Racing to debut Motormouth Meola in graded company, but these connections are pretty sharp, and they probably believe she’s got a shot here. She’ll love this seven furlongs. Trust the connections, and watch for her to come flying late. (4) WILD HENNY (KY) (*9/1*) O. Barrett Owner: Desperado Stables (25–9-5-1) $315,099 5 yo (HENNY HUGHES x WILD AGAIN x DEPUTY MINISTER) (SCR) Wild Henny likes to stalk, and she does it well. She comes in here pretty hot for Desperado Stables. She’s won two of her last four starts, and you can throw a second in there, too, while you’re at it. The five year old daughter of Henny Hughes was a route runner a couple of seasons ago, albeit briefly. She had a career high speed figure of 110 four races back, when she won a seven-furlong allowance event in Michigan. That probably would have been enough to win this race, or come pretty close. Right after that she ran in a graded stakes for the first time in a while, finishing second in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Blueberry Stakes in Ontario. Last time out, she won seven-furlong listed Rose Cap Dirt Mare Sprint. She threw a 107 speed figure in that start. She comes in here, with speed figures rising, and she’s going to be really dangerous in that spot this weekend in Florida. (5) WINNER’S PARADE (KY) (*9/1*) A. Darling Owner: Kobras Stables (20–10-2-0) $239,710 4 yo (ANY GIVEN SATURDAY x RAISED STATUS (Street Cry)) Winner’s Parade ships down from Maryland for the fifth graded stakes of her career. She’s yet to win one. The four year old daughter of Any Given Saturday had taken quite a break from graded racing before her last start. She finished ninth in the Grade 2 Distaff Breeders Bowl Cap. Besides looking for her fifth graded win, she’s also looking for the fifth 100+ spped figure of her career. She’s also breaking out of the five hole here. Lots of coincidences for the filly from Kobras Stables. Can she get her first graded win? Well, if she gets her fifth 100+ speed figure, she’s got a good shot here, although she faced a few of these last time out in that Grade 2 up in Maryland. She’ll have to improve a lot off that performance. It’s kind of hard to figure out Winner’s Parade. Three starts back, she throws a career-high 112 speed figure, which is pretty much up there with a lot of these and their career highs. Two starts back, she throws a 109 in a listed stakes in the Strong Prospect Dirt Mare Dash right here in Florida, where she’ll be racing this weekend. Maybe all those fives–fifth graded start, fifth possible 100+ speed figure, breaking from the five hole, not to mention running back in Florida again, where she seems to like it a lot–all those things might add up to something special for Winner’s Parade this weekend. (6) STARLET DREAM (KY) (*9/1*) O. Popo Owner: Desperado Stables (28–7-4-5) $729,574 5 yo (STREET CRY x WESTERN STARLET (Sadler’s Wells)) Starlet Dream is yet another entry from Desperado Stables, and this five year old daughter of Street Cry just might have a great shot to win this Grade 2 Davey Jones Handicap this weekend in Florida. She started racing as a three year old, at some really long distances (about ten furlongs), and she’s been going back and forth between classic and sprint distance races, with a couple of long distance races thrown in. She’s had quite a bit of success in her career, winning or finishing in the money in 16 of her 28 career starts. She seems to have not quite found her niche though, as far as distance goes. This will be her tenth career graded start, and while she’s finished top three in quite a few of them, in varying distance divisions, she’s yet to score that first graded win. Starlet Dream has run in some pretty big–and pretty prestigious–races, too, in her career. Wow, her resume looks like the resume of three horses, because she’s run in big races in just about every distance division. She hadn’t run in a graded race since May of last year, before her last start, where she faced quite a few of these she’ll be facing today. That was in the Grade 2 Distaff Breeders Bowl Cap. She raced from far back most of the way there and got up late for third. Starlet Dream threw a 105 speed figure there, and before that she was coming off consecutive wins in an allowance and a listed stakes. Make no mistake about Starlet Dream, though. Most of her earnings have come in these big dirt sprint events. If she gets hot this weekend, and she really runs her race, she could be dangerous in this spot. Keep your eye on her this weekend. (7) BITTER HAACK (KY) (*15/1*) E. Krumrie Owner: Otto Haack (Venezuela) (17–7-3-1) $157,533 4 yo (MR. GREELEY x PROSPECTOR AUTUMN (Nureyev)) If you want to talk about dangerous fillies and mares, here’s one right here. Bitter Haack was on a five-race winning streak before she finished fifth last time out in a common race for a lot of these, that Grade 2 Distaff Breeders Bowl Cap in Maryland. The four year old daughter of Mr. Greeley was gaining ground late in that race, too. Three starts ago, she threw a career-high 108 speed figure when she won a seven-furlong listed stakes in Connecticut. In fact, that was the first triple speed figure digit race of her career. She’s thrown there of those in a row, and when you combine that with the fact that’s she was gaining late as an 18-1 long shot up in Maryland last time out, you might start thinking that this is a mare to be reckoned with this season in the dirt sprint division. This could be the start of something great for Otto Haack’s mare. And let’s also not forget that she’s run this 7 furlong distance the last five times she’s stepped onto the track. (8) NO ORDINARY TAP (KY) (*11/1*) C. Faucher Owner: Gowans Stables (13–5-5-2) $437,966 4 yo (TAPIT x HUSHWING DRAGON (Elusive Quality)) No Ordinary Tap only started racing 14 months ago, as a three year old, and she’s already got nearly half a million in earnings for her connections, Gowans Stables. That’s all come in just 13 starts, 12 of which she’s been either won or been in the money. For such a lightly raced mare, it really didn’t take her long, at all, to start accumulating triple digit speed figure races, too. She’s already got five of those in the bag, and she threw a career-high 110 speed figure last time out when she finished second in the Saturday At Noon Dirt Ii Mare Sprint, a 7-furlong listed stakes in Vermont. She ran a pretty monster race there. She’s won three of her last six coming in here to Florida this weekend, but this will be her first graded stakes try of her career. That probably explains her odds (11/1), but I think the morning line odds makers have underestimated this mare. She’s really coming on strong now, and all she has to do here is avoid a bounce and run back to that last race’s speed numbers, and you can expect that she’ll easily eclipse that half a million in career earnings this weekend. (9) QUIT WHINING TOM (KY) (*5/1*) Z. White Owner: Npark Thoroughbred Villas (18–8-1-4) $193,158 5 yo (STREET CRY x LYPHARD x TOM ROLFE) (SCR) Quit Whining Tom is your morning line favorite here this weekend in the Davey Jones Handicap, and it’s pretty easy to see why. Consistency. Npark Thoroughbred Villas has got a monster of a sprinter here in Quit Whining Tom. Look at her past performance charts. She’s got 18 starts, and she’s throw ten 100+ speed figure races already in her career. That’s right. Ten of her 18 starts have been that good. She’s won or finished in the money in 13 of her 18 starts too. Three starts back, she threw a career-high 112 speed figure, and if you’re betting on this race and trying to beat the favorite, it’s going to be hard to do. This is a very impressive, very lightly raced five year old daughter of Street Cry, who has also got Lyphard and Tom Rolfe back there in her pedigree. The one negative for her is that she doesn’t have a graded stakes win yet. She tried, last time out, against a lot of these, in fact, in that big graded race in Maryland, and she finished seventh. But she was coming off two monster races, where she threw 112 and 110 speed figures, so she might have suffered a bit of a bounce race there. Look for her to bounce right back up this weekend when she hits the track in Florida for the Davey Jones Handicap. (10) THE LOOT IS GONE (KY) (*13/1*) W. Baumann Owner: Smokeglack Stables (20–8-2-1) $675,340 4 yo (MIDNIGHT LUTE x COUNTRY BRITCHES (Smarty Jones)) The Loot Is Gone has tons of stakes experience. Out of 20 career starts, she’s got 13 graded starts. If that kind of experience counts for anything, she’d win this race hands down for her connections, Smokeglack Stables. Six of those graded races came as a two year old, when she was the ticket to the Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Fillies for Jimmy at Smokeglack Stables. She had been out of graded action since July of last season, before she returned two starts back in the Grade 3 Leading Lady at the very same track she’ll be running in this weekend. That six furlongs was probably a bit short for her. She’ll like the extra furlong she’ll be seeing in the Davey Jones. Last time out, she popped a 105 speed figure in a fourth place finish in a URC listed stakes in Minnesota. It was only her third career 100+ speed figure race, and Jimmy’s filly will have to up her game a notch against this bunch this weekend, if she’s to have a decent shot. The four year old daughter of Midnight Lute showed a lot of early speed in her last start, and that might be key for her here. If she can get out in front early, or at least stay close to the leaders, she’s shown she can get this seven furlongs. (11) PICKIN’ WINNERS (KY) (*7/1*) V. Gardner Owner: Denovo Stables (37–12-6-5) $507,333 7 yo (FUSAICHI PEGASUS x SECRETARIAT x STORM BIRD) (SCR) The oldest mare in this field belongs to Pete at Denovo Stables. Pickin’ Winners had been hot, winning five consecutive races before her last start. That five race streak included graded wins in three different countries, Greece, Canada and the United States. She’s been bouncing back and forth between distances, going between sprints and short routes lately. She’s been showing a ton of early speed for a seven year old. In fact, the way her past performance charts read, with all those 1’s at every call lately, makes her look like a young two year old. She’s full of run, even at the age of seven and with 37 career starts under her belt. The daughter of Fusaichi Pegasus, who also has Secretariat and Storm Bird back there in her breeding, really was rolling along there, after wins in the Grade 2 Lil’ Leprechaun Dash, Grade 3 Blueberry Stakes and the Grade 3 Exit Stage Left. Then last time out, she took a bit longer layoff than she’s used to, and she stumbled badly in an 11th place finish in the Grade 1 Santa Marina in California. It was her second straight try at a classic distance, and the long layoff hurt her, I think. She’s really more of a sprinter, and two races like that, against the type of company she had been facing, well, it was just a bit much for her. She was throwing some really decent speed figures during her five-race win streak–certainly good enough to win here this weekend. She’ll have to return to that form here in Florida. She’s breaking from the 11 hole here, and that might hurt her a bit. But there isn’t a whole lot of early speed in this race, and she should have no trouble getting to the front–and the rail–and staying there. (12) FOUND AFTER SOUGHT (AUS) (*9/1*) K. Hickling Owner: Rockriver Stables (32–10-7-7) $454,916 5 yo (DEHERE X SOUGHT AND FOUND (Seeking The Gold)) The five year old Dehere mare from Rockriver Stables has a pretty impressive resume coming in here, and she’s been raced a lot. She’s got 32 starts, and she’s either won or been in the money 24 times. That’s quite a body of work. She’s approaching the half million dollar mark in career earnings, and she could break that mark this weekend in Florida. Throw out her last race, an 5thth place finish in a listed six furlong stakes in Indiana, where she was beaten by 11 lengths. That race was only six furlongs. Have a look at what she did three starts back, when she bounced out to a seven-length lead in the listed Storm Harbor Dirt Mare Sprint Stakes and hung on at the end to win. The impressive thing about that win was that she threw a 116 speed figure. With so little early speed in this race, Found After Sought could be on the lead, swishing her tail at this bunch most of the way. She hasn’t run in a graded race since October, but this might be a good time for Rockriver Stables to get their Dehere mare back into the fray here. This is a good spot for her. (13) IL PERICOLO (KY) (*9/1*) W. Case Owner: Dixiedotco Racing (20–9-3-1) $284,866 4 yo (MEDAGLIA D’ORO x DANGEROUS REWARD (Kingmambo)) The four year old daughter of Medaglia D’Oro is one of many in here who came out of that Grade 2 Distaff Breeders Bowl Cap. She hung back late there and came on strong late to finish fourth, which wasn’t bad at all, considering it was her first career graded start. The filly from Dixiedotco Racing has only a handful of 100+ speed figures coming in here, but that’s because she’s only got 20 career starts. She’s won nearly half of those (9), so she knows how to get to the winner’s circle. This race is setting up pretty nicely for her. She’s facing basically the same field she did last time, but she’s got one thing going for her in this race she didn’t last time. Last time she sort of got pinched back in that race in Maryland, breaking from the three hole, and she still fought back to pick up a check. She was only beaten by a couple of lengths. In this race, she breaks from the outside, so all she has to do is take back early, watch the race unfold in front of her and head for the rail. If she can do that, and save a lot of ground doing it, she could have a much better chance here this weekend in Florida against this bunch, that much is certain. Her connections are pretty sharp, and if Dixiedotco has his filly coming back against pretty much the same bunch in another graded stakes, he must feel pretty confident she can do as well as, or better than, she did last time. Might want to keep your eye on this one late.